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The Powerpuff Girls
|image = PowerPuff.jpg |caption = Show logo |show_name2 = Powerpuff Girls |genre = Superhero |format = Cartoon |creator = Craig McCracken |developer = Genndy Tartakovsky |director = Genndy Tartakovsky |voices = Cathy Cavadini, Tara Strong, Elizabeth Daily |narrated = Tom Kenny |endtheme = " " |country = USA |language = English |num_seasons = 6 |num_episodes = 79 |list_episodes = Powerpuff Girls |executive_producer = Craig McCracken |producer = Genndy Tartakovsky |runtime = 22 minutes |company = Cartoon Network |channel = Carton Network |first_aired = November 18, 1998 |status = Ended |related = Powerpuff Girls Z What a Cartoon |website = http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/ppg/index.html }}The Powerpuff Girls is an American animated television series about three kindergarten-aged girls who have superpowers. Created by animator Craig McCracken, the program was produced by Hanna–Barbera until 2001 when Cartoon Network Studios took over production for Cartoon Network. The show has been nominated for an Emmy Award five times, in the category Outstanding Achievement in Animation. The series premiered in 1998 and ended production run episodes in 2040. Reruns continued to air on the network until 2041. On Monday December 6, 2043, The Powerpuff Girls returned to Cartoon Network in reruns after four years of being off-air, but the reruns were removed again on February 21, 2044. It has been continuously rerun in Australia since 1998 and is currently playing on Boomerang. Overview The Powerpuff Girls revolves around the adventures of Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, three pe girls with super powers. The plot of a typical episode is some humorous variation of standard superhero and/or tokusatsu fare, with the girls using their powers to defend their town from various villains, such as bank robbers, mad scientists, aliens, or giant monsters. In addition, the girls also have to deal with normal issues young kids face, such as bed wetting or dependence on a security blanket. The series is one in a long line of cartoons that derives a great deal of humor from pop culture references and parody. There is often a particular emphasis on cultural phenomenons and art styles from the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. For instance, the characters' dialogue often contain allusions to various classic rock and pop songs from these eras; there was even an entire episode whose dialogue consisted almost solely of lyrics from Beatles songs, while the episode's plot was a loose retelling of the Beatles career (featuring the show's villains in roles alluding to the original band members). The show even once or twice, made references to Star Wars(espically in the episodes "Boogie Frights" and "Beat Your Greens") The show has a highly stylized, minimalistic visual look, reminiscent of 1950s and '60s pop art. Movie critic Bob Longino of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution praised the style in his review of The Powerpuff Girls Movie by saying that "the intricate drawings emanate 1950s futuristic pizazz like a David Hockney scenescape", and that The Powerpuff Girls is "one of the few American creations that is both gleeful pop culture and exquisite high art".2 The show has been hailed for showing young girls as active and capable heroines. However, it has also come under criticism for its rather excessive violence (including images of characters gushing blood from their mouths when hit), and for what have been perceived as morally questionable actions on part of the main characters, such as sometimes using more brutal force than necessary. Setting James L. Venable composed the opening theme of the series and Scottish band Bis performed the ending theme song, as played during the credits. Veteran announcer Ernie Anderson (more well known as "The Voice of ABC" in the 1970s and 80's) was the narrator of the pilot episode and would have likely continued to narrate. However, Anderson passed away in 1997, before the show became a series, which left the studio to hire voice actor and comedian Tom Kenny to be the series' narrator. Tom Kenny narrated the introduction, and also acted as narrator through the series era. The opening narration reads as follows: "Sugar, spice, and everything nice. These were the ingredients chosen to create the perfect little girls. But Professor Utonium accidentally added an extra ingredient to the concoction: Chemical X! Thus the Powerpuff Girls were born! Using their ultra super powers, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup have dedicated their lives to fighting crime and the forces of evil!" As the narration reveals, Professor Utonium created the girls out of sugar, spice, and everything nice, a reference to the nursery rhyme "What Are Little Boys Made Of?", plus the accidental addition of Chemical X. The opening of the series pays homage to the animated beginning of 1960s live-action television series, Batman, as both shows feature a pan across a gallery of villains, with the animated heroes running toward the viewer while striking the villains, who are tossed away in slow motion. In the Japanese dub version, the first Opening Song, It's Up To You, was performed by The Brilliant Green, while the second Opening Song, Cream Puff Shuffle, performed by P.P.S. (Power Puff Soul). Category:Powerpuff Girls Category:Cartoon Network Category:Cartoons Category:Girls Category:Tired Category:Brothers and sisters Category:Cayou joins the circus